Improvement in car-springs



v ZSheets-Sheet1. J. S. LASH.

CAR-SPRING. 97 3 Patented Dec. 5, 1876.

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J. s; LAsH; CAR-SPRING.

Patented Dec. 5, 1876.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII "I HE GRAPHIC CQ-PL NITE STATES JOHN "S. LASH, OFPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF HIS RIGHT TO CYRUS CHAMBERS, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-SPRINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters .Patent No. 184,973, datedDecember 5, 1876 application filed March 25, 1876.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN S. LASH, of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvemeu ts in Oar-Springs;

and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use it, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective of my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective,showing the manner of arranging the springs so as to have alternate endand center supports. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section. Fig. 4 isa perspective, showing the arrangement of the springs when applied tocircular boxes. Fig. 5 is a top view of a circular box and springs, withthe cover removed; Fig. 6, detail view of the center supports forsprings when placed in circular boxes. Fig. 7 is a frontelevation of aseries of graduated springs.

The object of my invention is to provide a very effective car-springwhich may be constructed by comparatively unskilled hands and atrelatively slight expense.

My improved car-spring consists of a series of flat elastic plates, laidone upon the other, with intervening movable fulcra or supports in atelescopic or sliding box.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A A represent the two sections ofa sliding 'or telescopic spring-box, either of said sections, butpreferably the former, serving as a lid. The section A fits within thesection A, as shown, and is provided with downwardly-projecting edges orhangers a for the exclusion of dust from said lower section. B B areflat steel plates, forming the spring, laid in one, two, or more ranksor piles, and separated horizontally by bars 0 O. The plates B B andbars 0 O are arranged with relation to. each other substantially asfollows: On the bottom of the section or lower box A are laid two bars,0 0, one at each end of said section. Two plates, B B, in the samehorizontal plane, are then laid on the said bars, their ends resting onthe latter, so that they may be sprung or elastically depressed in thecenter. A bar, 0, is then laid across the middle of'the plates B, and ontop of this are placed twoother plates, B B, these latter thus beingsupported or supplied with 'fulcra at their middle point, so that theirends may be sprung or elastically depressed. Two bars, 0 O, are thenlaid across the ends of the plates B B, and the pile continued, asalready described. When completed, it will be found that the plates B Bwill yield elastically in the middle or between their ends, while theplates B B will be depressed at their ends, thus producing an alternatecentral and end depression, which has the efiect of rendering the wholepile of plates or springs elastic throughout. D D are cleats or ribs,secured to or formed on the side of the section or lower box A, anddesigned to keep the .plates and bars forming the spring in positionwithin said box.

The foregoing construction relates particularly to a square orrectangular box. For a circular box a modification similar to that shownin Figs. 4 and 5 may be employed. E therein shows the lower sliding boxor section, having vertical cleats e e. F F are the steel plates, laidacross one another. G G are the bars supporting the ends of the platesF, and H thefulcra interposed between the alternate plates F. Saidfulcra are formed in the shape of blocks having their upper and lowersurfaces curved or rounded, so as to permit the plates F to rock acrossthem, and provided with flanges h h, to keep them in place.

The advantage of the foregoing construction is that it provides a verystrong, elastic, and durable spring, which may be constructed at veryslight expense, the labor of cutting and fitting the plates in the boxesbeing so plain and easy that it may be safely intrusted to boys or otherunskilled labor.

By reversing the sections A A so as to bring the latter above, thedust-excludcrs a A may be dispensed with.

In order to make a spring of this construction ride easily under a lightas well as a heavy load the plates B B may be of various thicknesses,the lowest plate being the thickest and the others decreasing inthickness as they ascend. If-desired, there may be a uniform gradationof the plates as they ascend, or two or any other number of them may beof the same thickness, so that they will be graded in pairs, triplets,or any other multiple of a single plate. By this construction the weightwill first fall upon the upper or lightest plate or plates, a'ndif theload be a light one it will ride easily thereon. As the load isincreased the heavier plates below be come compressed, and in thiswaythe spring adjusts itself to whatever weight it may have to bear, ridingeasily under any and every circumstance. In Fig. 7 the plates thusgraded are seen, the lowest plate being the heaviest and the othersdecreasing in thickness as they ascend, the top plate being the thinnestor lightest.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the sections AA, the

latter having cleats or ribs D, the "elastic plates B B, and interposedbars 0 G, the several parts being constructed and arranged for operationsubstantially as shown and set forth.

2. Acar-spring composed of aseries of graduated plates, or plates ofvarying thicknesses laid one upon the other with interposed movablefulcra or supports, so as to cause said spring to ride easily under alight as well as a heavy load, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my handthis'22d day of March, 1876.

JOHN S. LASH.

Witnesses:

M. DANL CONNOLLY, SAML. J. VAN STAvoREN'.

